The Corrupted Forest
by Comedyfanatic
Summary: The battle is over and strange things are happening in Iron town. A stranger shows up wanting to speak to San, and bringing news of lord Asano's plan to capture the small settlement of Iron town, while new demons begin arising from the forest depths. R&R!
1. The Stranger Enters

The war was over. The conflict between the humans and the beasts had been resolved. Lord Asado had been driven away from the small settlement atop a grassy hill, and the citizens lived in relative peace. Iron town was being rebuilt without its iron works and bellows. Lady Eboshi sat with Ashitaka on the straw roof of a newly constructed house as they oversaw the development. Eboshi turned to the young man and opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated.

"What is it?" questioned Ashitaka, turning to lady Eboshi as he did so. "Speak your mind, and I will gladly listen."

"Well, it's that wolf girl, San," replied Eboshi. She detected a distinctive twitch from Ashitaka. "I'm just wondering why she won't embrace her human form and come to live with us…"

Ashitaka turned to watch the town's construction workers pile straw onto the wooden frames of moss-covered houses and said, "I often wonder myself…" He suddenly perked up and said, "Maybe I could persuade her to live among us for a few days. Just so she knows she's welcome." He turned to lady Eboshi and waited for her reply. After what seemed like forever it came.

"I think it would be a good idea to… let her see us for what we are," said lady Eboshi. She looked at Ashitaka out of the corner of her eye. "Perhaps you should try to get San to live with you here. Just for a few days." Ashitaka let out a nervously drawn breath and stood to face the one armed lady who had not feared the gods when they reared their heads, nor the demon's cursed flesh. He nodded and turned to mount Yakul, speaking as he did so.

"I'll see if I can get her to stay," he said over his shoulder. "But it won't be easy." With this he jumped from the roof and leapt on Yakul, briefly startling the animal.

"C'mon Yakul," said Ashitaka, urging Yakul forward. Let's go find San." But the great red elk just reared its head and snorted, walking in small circles as it did so. The watchtower gong sounded and the watchman shouted warning of an approaching stranger. Ashitaka dismounted and strode towards the heavy gate. He clambered up the watchtower ladder and peered intently at the man coming towards their village. Upon closer inspection he noticed the man was riddled with arrows and bleeding from dozens of wounds. He yelled to the men at the gate to let the strange man through. Reluctantly, they complied.

Ashitaka made a point of standing in the middle of the gateway, awaiting the stranger's entrance into his humble town. He yelled a greeting, but no reply came. He drew his sword and yelled again, this time a warning not to come closer. The man riding on his injured steed continued clumsily towards the town. Finally Ashitaka gave in and stood to the side as the man passed. Moments later he slumped down in his saddle and nearly fell off his horse, but was caught by a few of the commoners.

"You OK sir?" said one of them as he propped the man up on one shoulder. He received a short grunt in reply. He and his fellow commoners placed him down against one of the many wood piles and watched him closely along with many others. Ashitaka broke through the crowd and knelt beside the man. He took his pulse and his features hardened.

"His pulse is far to slow," said Ashitaka. "Is there a medic? This man may have important information."

"I'm a doctor!" yelled one man as he hurriedly burst through the crowd and stumbled to Ashitaka's side. He took out sets of unnecessary equipment and placed one on the man's wrist. The doctor leapt back and said, "He has no pulse!"

Ashitaka felt his wrist and nodded grimly. "I regret to say it, but he's dead." A few gasps came from the crowd. Ashitaka rose and began to walk away when he heard a strong but rasping voice behind him.

"Dead?" said the voice, chuckling as it did so. "I may be fool enough to venture into Asado's territory, but I think I can tell when I'm dead."

Ashitaka turned suddenly and looked at the man, who had pulled away his mask to reveal his handsome features, though not quite the same as Ashitaka's. A few gasps came from the women and Ashitaka approached the stranger.

"What is your name, stranger?" asked Ashitaka as he resumed his squatting position beside the man. The man coughed and managed to rasp out his name.

"My name is," he paused to cough, then continued. "Karasu Yuuhi." He coughed and slumped back against the wall, closing his eyes as he did so.

"What business do you have here?" asked Ashitaka, determined to get some sort of information from the stranger. He coughed and muttered in barely audible tones.

"I bring you message of Asano's spread through the north," replied the exhausted man. "I also wish to speak to San…" and he trailed off, falling back against the half built structure that server as his headrest. Ashitaka was tempted to shake him awake to ask him what he needed to say, or why he knew San, but he knew better. He opted instead to head in the direction of the forest and to find San to tell her of the events that unfolded in his small town.


	2. The Demon Wolf

Ashitaka moved through the thick underbrush and out into the humid forest grounds. He crept cautiously along the bank of the small, mossy island, trying desperately to find San. He was just about to call out when he saw a flash of white fur. He followed it with his eyes until it came to land on the lush island in the center of the marsh. There he watched as San uncurled herself from her clenched cannonball position and walked to the center of the island before sitting down and stroking the grass around her. Ashitaka noticed it was turning a light brown.

Slowly Ashitaka waded through the water toward San. He reached the island's edge and hoisted himself up onto the once pure green land, causing San to turn to him. She couldn't hide the tears in her eyes. Ashitaka sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. San leaned against him and sighed. Not one of relief or pleasure, but one of grief. She looked up at Ashitaka and spoke softly to him.

"Ashitaka…" she said as she stared deeply into his eyes. "The forest is beginning to rot again. It can't thrive without the forest spirit." San turned her eyes to the ground and picked a blade of brown grass.

"This was once a living thing…" she said. "Now it's nothing but a rotted plant, so easily forgotten…" She sighed again and wriggled so that her back was to Ashitaka. He turned to her and offered a weak smile.

"I'm sure the forest will be fine," said Ashitaka, trying to sound reassuring. He put both arms around San and turned her towards him. He looked into her once strong eyes and saw fear there. A kind he had never seen before. He smiled again and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't forget, we'll always have each other," said Ashitaka. He turned away then jerked back around, suddenly remembering his purpose. "San, some strange things have been going on around iron town. A stranger came by asking to speak with you…"

At this San perked up. She briefly sniffed the air, then settled against her lover once again.

"Is that so?" she asked as she closed her eyes. She waited for Ashitaka's response with a child-like eagerness, although it didn't appear on her face.

"Yes," he replied. "He was covered in arrows and bleeding from too many wounds for any mortal man to survive. He said his name was Karasu."

San's eyes lit up and she gasped briefly before whispering the name under her breath. Before she could explain further, a crash of trees heralded the coming of a demonic beast. It burst into the clearing and growled ferociously. Ashitaka instinctively reached for his sword, only to find that he hadn't belted it on. He shielded San and waited for the creature to attack. It paced for a while as it brandished its fangs, then pounced. Ashitaka braced himself, but was never hit with an attack because at that moment an arrow sunk itself into the beast's eye, causing it to screech and reel back. It turned to see its attacker and saw five archers and Karasu standing atop a narrow rocky outcropping. It howled and dashed towards the rocks. Karasu grinned through his bandages and drew his sword as the creature scampered up the ledge to attack a few unlucky archers. Karasu strode forward and raised his sword above the demon's unsuspecting head. Unfortunately for him, the creature saw his movement and leapt out of the way and attacked. It came within inches of Karasu's exposed arm and caused him to take a defensive positon. The beast sprung forward again, this time meeting its target straight on. It rammed Karasu in the stomach and tore at his light armor and bandages. He responded by grimacing, then reaching his hand into the dark tentacles that surrounded the demon and tearing at them. He paid no head to the black mark spreading across his arm and proceeded to stab his sword into the monster's skull. It jerked back and howled, then crumbled to the ground and fell off the ledge. The tentacles slowly melted away to reveal the sad form of one of San's wolves. She gasped and ran to its side, only dismaying more when finding it already dead. Karasu wiped the blood from him sword and walked over to San and Ashitaka. He looked down on the two of them before crouching down beside them. He looked sadly at San's weeping form and spoke in his strong but gentle voice.

"Don't despair little sister," said Karasu, shocking Ashitaka as he did so. "It was for the best." San looked up with tearful eyes into his sad face before letting her gaze drift to the black mark on his arm. She picked up his arm and examined it. She spoke softly as she did so.

"Brother, you're hurt," she said, hitting Ashitaka with a second wave of shock. She peered at it closely and watched in amazement as it began fading. Karasu looked down as well and saw the last trace of black disappearing from his arm. He hugged San and beckoned for Ashitaka to do the same. When he was done he detached himself and got up to leave.

"I'm heading to iron town," he said over his shoulder as he walked out. "And I suggest the both of you do the same thing." As he was walking away, Ashitaka noticed that the arrow wounds in his back had nearly vanished.


End file.
